The Role of Nurses in Occupational Health Services within Federal Government Institutions: A Review of Policy and Practice

Abstract

Occupational health services (OHS) play a significant role in protecting the physical, psychological, and even social health of people who work in federal government institutions. The nurses take center stage in the provision of these services, but their roles, policy frameworks, and practice dilemmas are under-researched, especially in resource-constrained areas such as in Nigeria. This scoping review conducted with the help of PRISMA synthesized information about peer-reviewed studies, policy reports, and official reports that were published during the period of 2016-2025 to evaluate the roles of nurses in federal occupational health services. Results show that occupational health nurses are involved in multidimensional roles such as health promotion, disease prevention, monitoring hazards, risk assessment, emergency response, compliance with regulations, and psychosocial support. Although policy frameworks like the National Occupational Health Policy (2016) and the WHO guidelines (2022) offer an organized structure of roles, gaps in implementation can still be noticed because of the resources, workforce limitations, and insufficient institutional support. The paper identifies the increasing demands of broader preventive and leadership functions, the introduction of digital health solutions, and active participation in the emerging occupational issues, such as psychosocial stressors and ergonomic hazards. Practical implications focus on the importance of capacity building, professional development, and organizational support in order to maximize nurse-led interventions. Some of the policy recommendations are improving the enforcement mechanisms, defining the duties of the nurses, and synchronizing the institutional structures with international best practices. The review highlights that workforce health, organizational sustainability, and sustainable service delivery to federal institutions depend on the role of occupational health nursing. To address the policy-practice gap and capitalize on a culture of both preventive and holistic occupational health care, nurse-led OHS must be improved with specific policies, training, and infrastructure investment.